Peace by Bodhi Smith

Sep 24, 2021

"peace" a brand new impression and blog from me...
 
"finding peace should be easy...so wtf is so difficult and so complicated? it's right there if you want it. it's always inside you, but too many unproductive things get in your way. doubt. regret. guilt. fear. longing. desire. resentment. pride...you must tune out the noise. look past the distractions. ignore negative thoughts. you must get outta your own way. and just believe. hope. love. relax. breathe. be content. and let it be, and then you'll find peace" ― bodhinku, peace
 
"the path of peace is the art of filling up what is missing and emptying out what is superfluous" ― paulo coelho, aleph
 
"i want to sleep with you in the desert night with a billion stars all around. because i got a peaceful easy feeling, and i know you won't let me down, because i'm already standing on the ground...and i found out a long time ago what a woman can do to your soul. but she can't take you any way you don't already know how to go" ― the eagles, peaceful easy feeling
 
"if you are depressed you are living in the past. if you are anxious you are living in the future. if you are at peace you are living in the present" ― lao tzu, tao te ching  
 
"love and forgiveness is key, a resentful heart will never discover peace...peace is found only in the calm inside you" ― bodhinku, peace
 
"if you let go a little, you'll have a little peace. if you let go a lot, you'll have a lot of peace. if you let go completely, you will have complete peace" ― gautama siddhartha buddha, sayings of buddha  
 
"there is no path into peace. peace is the path. there is no path into love. love is the path. there is no path into happiness. happiness is the path. take the path and there you will be. it is always inside you, but somehow you always knew that. the journey is what brings us peace, love and happiness, not the destination." ― dan millman, way of the peaceful warrior
 
"longing gives you pain, fear gives you pain, anger gives you pain; these are negative emotions. but peace can be attained only by accepting and absorbing the painful, not by rejecting it" ― osho, awareness: the key to living in balance
 
"we're always trying to satisfy these wants and needs. take you some time for that inner peace. when your eyes are open, you'll see things differently. there is so much gloom hiding the reality: it's just a beautiful day!! wake up, keep your head up high. i take a look into the sky, because the world is not so pretty, free myself from worries so i can see: it's just a beautiful day!" ― ziggy marley, beautiful day  
 
"the day i finally understood that i know nothing, was the day i finally stopped trying to figure everything out. on that day, i finally let everything go. on that day, i finally knew peace" ― bodhinku, finally
 
there you'll be
both you and me
 
the roots of a tree
the waves of the sea
the hole of a key
the kiss of sensuality
the words of hyperbole
the stars of eternity
 
birds flying carefree
through peaceful certainty
 
in steam of herbal tea
in aromas of potpourri
in rain falling so lightly
in temperatures by degree
in a solemn guarantee
in dreams of reality
 
both you and me
there you'll be 
 
"i'm one with my body, my spirit, my heart and my mind. i nourish myself and i'm nourished by the universe. i'm connected deeply to the earth and her medicine. i'm able to withstand all storms. i'm calm, centered and peaceful. i'm at peace with the world surrounding me. i invite wellbeing and balance into my sacred space. my home is my sanctuary. i'm fully supported by the universe in all ways. everything that i desire is making its way to me. i'm blessed. i'm loved. i'm safe" ― c. ara campbell, affirmations 
 
this first song (from seven years ago in 2014) is named the same as my impression, and with its lyrics, it is the perfect accompaniment to connect music with my deeper meaning today (someday maybe i'll find that special someone to find peace with one day) "peace" by o.a.r. ... (just click on any of the words in the powder blue links to listen to the tune and watch the video) ...
 
"i don't wanna fight no more. i only wanna get to shore. baby don't slam the door tonight. ran another off the tracks. that's time we can't get back. we can save tomorrow if we try. ohhhhh till we make this right. ohhhhh i won't say goodnight. i just wanna make you laugh. i just wanna see that smile. baby we're only here, oh, for a little while. i just wanna hold you till we fall asleep. i want love. i want us. i want you. i want me. i want peace. yeah, everybody needs a place, somewhere that's warm and safe for shelter from this crazy world we're in. but tonight i let the rain inside. i took away your place to hide. i'm sorry if i made you cry again. ohhhhh we can make this right. ohhh kiss me good night. i just wanna make you laugh. i just wanna see that smile. babe we're only here, oh, for a little while. i just wanna hold you till we fall asleep. i want love. i want us. i want you. i want me. i want peace, yeah i want peace...ohhhhh we don't have to fight. ohhhh just kiss me all night because i want peace. i just wanna make you laugh. i just wanna see that smile. baby we're only here, oh, for a little while. i just wanna hold you till you fall asleep. i want love. i want us. i want you. i want me. i want peace...i just wanna make you laugh. i just wanna see that smile. baby we're only here, oh, for a little while. i just wanna hold you till you fall asleep. i want love. i want us. i want you. i want me. i want peace...i want love. i want us. i want you. i want me. i want peace" ― of a revolution (o.a.r.), peace    
 
"this life is all we have, all we get. waste none of it with trivial and useless thoughts that get in the way of your glowing light. do not let visions of anyone or any circumstance hold you back from your inner peace. be in love with your next breath. exhale, and be alive in that certainty" ― bodhinku, your peace   
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MEANING
"in the darkness of the night i find my path to peace as the stars flower my world with angelic beauty...it's in the light of day that i'm tormented and lost, as the sunshine bedevils me, and bleaches out all of my dreams with its blinding reality" ― bodhinku, path to peace 
 
the inspiration for naming this impression as "peace" comes from how this rocky butte resembles flashing someone the two fingered peace sign (a ritual i've always done rather than waving at someone), combined with the fact that i'm always at peace when i find myself under the stars, outside under the glowing milky way in the dark silence of pure nature...totally exposed to the infinity of the universe i feel so wonderfully insignificant, and all my issues trivial, it's one of the few times my restless heart relaxes and my mind unfocuses and just lets things be, lets the beautiful calm of peace envelope me...

"peace" is defined by merriam-webster as: 
1. a state of tranquility or quiet
2. freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions
3. harmony in living

peace is not found in the eyes of another person, peace is not found in the purchase of material things. peace is not found in taking a trip to get away from everything. peace is not found in anything external...
 
love and forgiveness is key, a resentful heart will never discover peace...peace is found only in the calm inside you. period.
 
if it's inside you, then finding peace should be easy...so wtf is so difficult and so complicated? it's right there if you want it. it's always inside you, but too many unproductive things get in your way. doubt. regret. guilt. fear. longing. desire. resentment. pride. you must tune out the noise. look past the distractions. ignore negative thoughts. you must get outta your own way. and just believe. hope. love. relax. breathe. be content. and let it be, and then you'll find peace...
 
for me, its always noise in my mind that gets in the way of finding peace. some intrusive thought to which i should pay no heed...such as an ex-girlfriend rubbing shit in my face on social media, or frustration with lazy students who just want to do nothing and not improve themselves, or knowing someone is always constantly lying and there's nothing i can do about it, or not getting past having been made a fool and deceived and manipulated and hurt deeply by a monster succubus, or problems with a new lens delivery not showing when it was expected, or a photographer stealing yet another one of my compositions, or a major screw-up on my vehicle by the jeep dealership, or new public stupidity floating around about covid19, or me constantly wondering about why i'm so alone in this world, or just being so damned uptight and not letting things go...
 
you cannot earn peace. you cannot want peace. you cannot need peace. you cannot rush peace. you cannot force peace...you can only accept peace, be at peace, and live in peace...
 
1. breathe in: one-thousand one, one-thousand two, one-thousand three, one-thousand four...
2. breathe out: one-thousand one, one-thousand two, one-thousand three, one-thousand four...
repeat #1 and #2 as many times as it takes to clear your mind and feel peaceful again.
 
the simple act of deliberate breathing helps you to step back in your mind. so you can let things go. let things be, find peace again....breathe in, breathe out, move on...
 
"hush! silence the noise, breath in, breath out. soak in the glow of peace" ― bodhinku, hush   
 
this life is all we have, all we get. waste none of it with trivial and useless thoughts that get in the way of your glowing light. do not let visions of anyone or any circumstance hold you back from your inner peace. be in love with your next breath. exhale, and be alive in that certainty.
 
here is a second beautifully poignant song with beautiful apropos lyrics to give listen, such a mellow, calming song...a true classic of wisdom to help anyone find some peace in their life in times of trouble, or ego, or nothing going right, "peaceful easy feeling" by the eagles (cover by jack tempchin) ... (just click on any of words in the powder blue links to listen to the song)...  
 
"i like the way your sparkling earrings lay against your skin so brown. and i want to sleep with you in the desert night with a billion stars all around. because i got a peaceful easy feeling and i know you won't let me down, because i'm already standing on the ground...and i found out a long time ago what a woman can do to your soul. aw but she can't take you any way you don't already know how to go. and i got a peaceful easy feeling and i know you won't let me down, because i'm already standing on the ground...i get this feeling i may know you as a lover and a friend. this voice keeps whispering in my other ear tells me i may never see you again. because i get a peaceful easy feeling and i know you won't let me down, because i'm already standing, i'm already standing. yes, i'm already standing' on the ground" ― the eagles, peaceful easy feeling 
 
"as an artist sometimes i'm a drifter, a vagabond bouncing from one spot to the next when i'm just not feeling good vibes. it's really quite impossible for me to capture anything beautiful with my camera if i'm just not in the right peace of mind. if i'm not feeling calmness and quietude in my mind, and instead feeling negative and noisy thoughts, i'm not letting nature around me sooth and caress my soul, and i just cannot create anything from my heart" ― bodhinku, peace of mind
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MORE BODHIKU QUOTES
and now here are a few more quotes from bodhinku from past blogs to help add to the deeper meaning of this blog today...
 
"i found this spot and upon getting out of my jeep, i quickly felt at peace, all the noise from earlier gone...just me and my doggie besos together alone there...i was lost in awe of the universe as i stood in the middle of the road and took everything in...i knew this was where i was meant to be at this juncture in time, at this juncture in space. i knew this was going to be my impression " ― bodhinku, junctures 
 
"standing here on this night, under this glowing milky way, i feel so utterly lost in peaceful silence...and at the same time, i'm found, knowing my meaning is written somewhere in all those billions of stars above me" ― bodhinku, written somewhere    
 
"my father is time. my mother is space. and i'm their child, the juncture between serendipity and synchronicity" ― bodhinku, i'm the juncture
 
"focusing upward at night and staring at the milky way is like taking a train ride back into the depths of time. in those endless pinpoints of light are timeless sunbeams. and within those stars are the words of the universe, and some of those words are mine. i am haunted by the stars..." ― bodhinku, all aboard
  
"there's a secret current behind the stars that carries you to the end of you" ― bodhinku, secret of the stars 
   
"if your love for me was a star in the sky, my love for you would be the milky way, glowing alive with billions of you inside of me " ― bodhinku, signs from somewhere over the milky way 
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MORE QUOTES FOR EXTRA MEANING
and here is a favorite tune from 1977, from one of my favorite rock-n-roll bands of all time. it's impossible for me to listen to any single song on their first album and not sing along. i know all the lyrics by heart, and feel them all in my heart at the same time...this is a song sung boldly with a pounding meaning very dear to my heart, vocalized so powerfully, yet softly, by the lead singer, the late brad delp, backed by four guitars all playing in perfect synchronicity and harmony... "peace of mind" by boston ... (just click on any of words in the powder blue links to listen to the song)...  
 
"now if you're feeling kinda low about the dues you've been paying, future's coming much too slow. and you wanna run, but somehow you just keep on staying, can't decide on which way to go. yeah, yeah, yeah, i understand about indecision. but i don't care if i get behind. people living in competition. all i want is to have my peace of mind...now you're climbing to the top of the company ladder, hope it doesn't take too long. can't you see there'll come a day when it won't matter, come a day when you'll be gone. ohh, ohh, i understand about indecision. but i don't care if i get behind. people living in competition. all i want is to have my peace of mind...take a look ahead, take a look ahead, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah...now everybody's got advice, they just keep on giving, doesn't mean too much to me. lots of people out to make believe they're living, can't decide who they should be. oh, oh, i understand about indecision. but i don't care if i get behind. people living in competition. all i want is to have my peace of mind...take a look ahead, take a look ahead, look ahead" ― boston, peace of mind
 
"peace comes from within.  do not seek it without" ― gautama siddhartha buddha, sayings of buddha
 
"those who are free of resentful thoughts surely find peace" ― gautama siddhartha buddha, sayings of buddha
 
"to enjoy good health, to bring true happiness and peace to one's self, one must first discipline and control one's own mind. a man who can control his own mind, can find the way to peace" ― gautama siddhartha buddha, sayings of buddha
 
"you will never be at peace if you search for peace" ― gautama siddhartha buddha, sayings of buddha
 
"when there is no desire, all things are at peace" ― lao tzu, tao te ching
 
"we can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves...inner peace is the key: if you have inner peace, the external problems do not affect your deep sense of peace and tranquility...without this inner peace, no matter how comfortable your life is materially, you may still be worried, disturbed, or unhappy because of circumstances" ― dalai lama xiv, the art of happiness
 
"because we all share this planet earth, we have to learn to live in harmony and peace with each other and with nature. this is not just a dream, but a necessity" ― dalai lama xiv, the art of happiness
 
"there is no way to peace, there is only peace...each one of us has to find their peace from within. and peace to be real must be unaffected by outside circumstances" ― mohandas mahatma gandhi
 
"we need to find peace, and it cannot be found in noise and restlessness. peace is the friend of silence. see how nature--trees, flowers, grass--grow in silence; see the stars and how they move in quiet... we need to find peace to be able to touch souls" ― mother teresa

"there is no peace in poverty, but no wealth can ever make a man at peace with himself" ― plato, phaedrus   
 
"there is peace, even in the storm" ― vincent van gogh, vincent's letters
 
"to the extent you identify and honor your true path in this lifetime, you will know genuine satisfaction. real peace in your own skin. you will be infused with vitality and a clarified focus. new pathways of possibility appear, where before there were obstacles. you will know a peace that will buffer you against the madness of the world. a clarity, a direction, that will carry you from one satisfaction to another" ― jeff brown   
 
"you are coming; i can feel you on the breeze. these ages apart have been the longest, loneliest that i can remember. and they too shall fade as love weaves light from darkness stitching together the well worn tapestries of our spirits and all that went before dissolves...until the day you are in my arms once more, you lie cradled in my heart; and i am lost in eternal ribbons of memory. the landscape of time and space is a reminder of your existence. your place among the heavens as the brightest of stars, the true north that guides this vessel back home once more" ― c. ara campbell  
 
"when pain arrives it shifts your perspective on everything around you. the days grow darker, the nights stretch further, and you cannot, for the life of you, find the light through the fog. everyday moments that were once beautiful to you now appear colourless and dull, and those songs that once sang full through your lungs now serve only to remind you of the better days far behind you....but don't lose hope. through these dark times, you must simply learn to look harder for the light. it will come to you in flashes of unexpected beauty: the helping hand of a friend, a compliment given or received, a quiet moment of inspiration or peace. collect these tiny fragments of light wherever they come, until at last your sky is so full or stars, you are finally able to see the way forward" ― beau taplin, here at dawn
 
"the touch of stone and man in serene peace kindles garlands of fleeting flowers, which then return to prime sources: flesh and stone: contrary elements" ― pablo neruda 
 
"a peace that is disturbed is not peace. and a silence that is disturbed is just a dream, not a reality" ― osho, the secret of secrets    
 
"never ask anybody what is right and what is wrong. life is an experiment to find out. each individual has to be conscious, alert, and watchful, and experiment with life and find out what is good for them. whatever gives you peace, whatever makes you blissful, whatever gives you serenity, whatever brings you closer to existence and its immense harmony is good. and whatever creates conflict, misery, pain in you is wrong" ― osho, book of wisdom
 
"remain available to the moment. never decide beforehand, so that you will never feel guilty. never decide beforehand; you will never feel confused. never decide beforehand and you will never feel any conflict within you. so whatsoever you do, you do it totally; your act becomes total. and when an act is total, it is beautiful. when an act is total, it gives you peace, silence, harmony" ― osho, the responsibility of being oneself
 
"peace begins where fear ends" ― osho, fear 
 
"the intelligent person will go inward first. before going anywhere else, you will go into your own being. that is the first thing, and it should have the first preference. only when you have known yourself can you go anywhere else. then wherever you go you will carry a blissfulness around you, a peace, a silence, a celebration" ― osho, the hidden splendor 
 
"if you feel peaceful, you become peaceful. the idea becomes the actuality. a continuous thought can be transformed into a thing. it becomes as real as anything else. let it vibrate inside continuously.whenever you forget, again remember, relax and bring peace. move peacefully, sit peacefully, stand peacefully. carry a grace, an elegance, and feel that you are surrounded by a small aura of peace. within a few days there will be no need to remember it. it will be there whether you remember it or not" ― osho, tantra: the supreme understanding 
 
"buddha says: look into the nature of desire. watch the movement of desire; it is very subtle. and you will be able to see two things: one, that desire by its very nature is unfulfillable. and second, the moment you understand that desire is unfulfillable, desire disappears and you are left desireless. that is the state of peace, silence, tranquility. that is the state of fulfillment! people never come to fulfillment through desire; they come to fulfillment only by transcending desire" ― osho, zen: the path of paradox
 
"what is success? it is being able to go to bed each night with your soul at peace" ― paulo coelho, manuscript found in accra
 
"solitude is used to teach us how to live with other people. rage is used to show us the infinite value of peace. boredom is used to underline the importance of adventure & spontaneity. illness is used to underline the blessing of good health. death is used to show us the importance of life" ― paulo coelho, warrior of the light
 
"to find peace in the heavens, we must find love on earth" ― paulo coelho, the alchemist  
 
"we have to find a middle path, where there is neither joy nor suffering, only profound peace" ― paulo coelho, like the flowing river    
 
"one minute of patience can result in ten years of peace" ― atticus, love her wild 
     
"love is a place and through this place of love move (with brightness of peace) all places" ― e. e. cummings, 100 selected poems
 
"the best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds" ― nicholas sparks, the notebook 
 
"today, clean your heart of any emotional poison that you have, free your mind from any judgment so that you can live in complete peace and complete love" ― don miguel ruiz, the four agreements  
 
"give up being right. instead radiate peace, harmony, love, and laughter from your heart" ― deepak chopra, buddha
  
"you talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts" ― khalil gibran, the prophet
  
"you are a soul. you are on a tour of this world. mind is like that clingy and blabbering tour guide that wants to accompany you everywhere. meditation is all about leaving that tour guide and enjoying at least some parts of this world in peace" ― shunya  
 
"don’t let external chaos destroy your inner peace of mind. if you have no inner peace of mind, it is futile to seek peace outside" ― rabindranath tagore  
 
"if you want to conquer the anxiety of life and find inner peace, live in the moment, live in the breath" ― amit ray, world peace 
 
"nothing can disturb your peace of mind unless you allow it to" ― roy t. bennett, the light in the heart
 
"learning to distance yourself from all the negativity is one of the greatest lessons to achieve inner peace" ― roy t. bennett, the light in the heart
 
"we, angels and mortal's, believers and non-believers, look heavenward and speak the word aloud. peace. we look at our world and speak the word aloud. peace. we look at each other, then into ourselves and we say without shyness or apology or hesitation. peace, my brother. peace, my sister. peace, my soul" ― maya angelou
 
"your mind can be your enemy or friend. if you always follow your heart, your mind will feel neglected. if you follow only your mind, your heart will never forgive you. never ignore your conscience, yet always be conscious of reason. make your heart and mind friends and you will have peace of mind throughout life's seasons" ― suzy kassem, rise up and salute the sun 
 
"peace is not a result inside us from everything around us. peace is not submissive nor passive. on the contrary, peace is an overwhelming force which comes from within us, disrespectful of everything around us, a firm coalition of spirit and soul standing against all the unrest that abounds" ― c. joybell c.  
 
"go in the direction of where your peace is coming from" ― c. joybell c. 
  
"when you give yourself permission to communicate what matters to you in every situation you will have peace despite rejection or disapproval. putting a voice to your soul helps you to let go of the negative energy of fear and regret" ― shannon l. alder
 
"it was a gentle love, a tactile love. it was all hands and lips and hearts in tandem. there was motion in our bodies and emotion in our discourse. we were a symphony of melody and melancholy. when you find peace in another’s presence, there is no mistake" ― lang leav, love & misadventure  
 
"climb the mountains and get their good tidings. nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. the winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of autumn" ― john muir, the mountains of california   
 
"peace is always beautiful" ― walt whitman, leaves of grass  
 
"dogs are our link to paradise. they don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. to sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in eden, where doing nothing was not boring, it's pure peace" ― milan kundera, the unbearable lightness of being
 
"learning to ignore things is one of the great paths to inner peace" ― robert j. sawyer, calculating god
 
"gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. it turns what we have into enough, and more. it turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. it can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow" ― melody beattie, the language of letting go
 
"fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity" ― george carlin
 
"if someone thinks that peace and love are just a cliche that should have been left behind in the 60s, that's a problem. peace and love are eternal" ― john lennon
 
and here are a couple pretty sweet reggae tunes by my favorite rasta performer, ziggy marley ... (just click on any of words in the powder blue links to listen to the musical selection) ...

"stand in the circle of peace 'cause only the willing will see their dreams, yeah. stand in the circle of peace, come on and only the willing will see their dreams...skeptics say it can't be done, eh. we proving them wrong, is so much fun. what would you not do for what you believe? for the sins of society, the children aren't guilty, no. stand in the circle of peace, yeah, 'cause only the willing will see their dreams, i got to get it on. stand in the circle of peace, need it strong and only the willing will see their dreams...there comes a time you got to face the test and know in this effort that you cannot rest. for my inaction there is no defense. for my action there will be consequence, yeah. i stand in the circle of peace, one more time 'cause only the willing will see their dreams, only the willing. stand in the circle of peace, come on, come on and only the willing will see their dreams, brother ragga know we got the way i say you know we got the means because it ain't as hard as they make it seem. you know we coming good i say you know, we coming clean. because it ain't as hard as they make it seem. you know we flying straight because we never flying lean. because it ain't as hard as they make it seem. we lifting up the green we putting down all the machine. because it ain't as hard as they make it seem, conquering lion so we trample the beast, least is the most and the most is the least. when you living in a world of peace, yeah, stand in the circle of peace. 'cause only the willing will see their dreams, come on. stand in the circle of peace, will is strong, yeah and only the willing will see their dreams, hey. stand in the circle of peace, 'cause we know, 'cause we know, 'cause only the willing will see their dreams, oh. stand in the circle of peace, our will is strong, yeah, and only the willing will see their dreams,. i got to get it on, stand in the circle of peace 'cause we know, 'cause we know" ― ziggy marley, circle of peace
 
"i take a look into the sky, because the world is not so pretty. free myself from worries so i can see: it's just a beautiful day, it's just a beautiful day! you could be sad, but i rather you not be. don't dwell on the negative, just the positivity. and it's a beautiful day, it's just a beautiful day...we're always trying to satisfy these wants and needs. take you some time for that inner peace. when your eyes are open, you'll see things differently. there is so much gloom hiding the reality: it's just a beautiful day, yeah, it's just a beautiful day!! take a look into the sky, wake up, take a look into the sky, keep your head up high, take a look into the sky. i take a look into the sky, because the world is not so pretty, free myself from worries so i can see: it's just a beautiful day!! i could be sad, but you rather me not be. don't dwell on the negative, just the positivity. and it's a beautiful day, and it's a beautiful day!!! we're always trying to satisfy these wants and needs. take you some time for that inner peace. when our eyes are open, we'll see things differently. there's so much gloom hiding the reality: it's just a beautiful day, a beautiful day!!! take a look into the sky. wake up. take a look into the sky. look in the sky, keep your head up high. it's just a beautiful day, i know it's a beautiful day. it's just a beautiful day, i know it's a beautiful day...no one can take that away, it's just a beautiful day. i know it's a beautiful day. don't you feel no way, it's just a beautiful day!" ― ziggy marley, beautiful day  
 
"only from the heart can you touch the stars in the sky" ― jalaluddin rumi, bridge to the soul  
 
"when you feel a peaceful joy, that's when you are near truth" ― jalaluddin rumi, a year with rumi  
 
"if you want peace, don't harbor bad thoughts, do not gossip and don't teach what you do not know" ― jalaluddin rumi, the music and silence of the heart
 
"peaceful is the one who's not concerned with having more or less. unbound by name and fame, he's free from sorrow from the world and mostly from himself" ― jalaluddin rumi, the essential rumi
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ABOUT THE IMPRESSION
"i'm always at peace when i find myself under the stars, outside under the glowing milky way in the dark silence of pure nature...totally exposed to the infinity of the universe i feel so wonderfully insignificant, and all my issues trivial, it's one of the few times my restless heart relaxes and my mind unfocuses and just lets things be, lets the beautiful calm of peace envelope me" ― bodhinku, finding peace
 
this impression was taken this past summer in southeastern utah...it's created through merging two separate long exposures: the first one of the butte and foreground (f/11@111mm for 111 secs, iso-64)  taken about 11 minutes after sunset at 8:55pm; and the second one, a star-tracked long exposure (f'/4@15mm for 260 secs, iso-800) of the milky way and the heavens at 11:11pm...both exposures were captured on july 1st, 2021... 
 
in my photography, i always use filters to create longer exposure effects, saturate colors naturally, and balance the light in my composition in-camera...i often use as many as four filters at time, and i always use at least one filter in my completed impressions...
 
and to get the effects and balance i was looking for in the desert/butte exposure of this composition (f/11@111mm for 111 secs, iso-64), i used two progreyusa filters...
 
first, a 3.0 nd progrey antarctica filter to bring the light in the image down 10 stops and permit for the long 1 minute and 51 second exposure which creates the dreamy effect by slightly allowing motion blur of the sage brush and desert vegetation in the foreground, and also in turn naturally saturating all the blues, yellows, and reds in the image...
 
combined with the second filter, a 0.9 reverse gnd progrey aurora filter to help balance in-camera overall the image the way i envisioned it...in this case, to stop down the much brighter light in the sky, the post-dusk light, at the horizon level of the image an extra three stops and help permit details in the shadows amongst all the rocks in the cliff and foreground to come out better in the exposure... 
 
i also used the progrey g-120z magnetic holder to hold the filters and secure the filters to my nikon d850 with a nikon nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 lens ... 
 
and with this being a long exposure of 111 seconds using a long and heavy professional-grade zoom lens, a stable and sturdy tripod is an absolute necessity in order to keep the image sharp...i wish to openly thank my sponsors who have always supported me through both the good and bad times...for truly this long exposure impression would not be possible without the use of my induro phq3 series 5-way panhead with induro carbon fiber stealth tripod in combination with the progreyusa filters which i use with every photo i take...
 
for the separate exposure of the stars i used a vixen optics polarie star tracker with vixen optics polarie tripod attached to my nikon d850 with a nikon nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 lens... this permitted me to be able to capture a much longer exposure of the stars and not have any star trails, which also gives such beautiful enrichment to all the colors in the night sky while at the same time permitting a much lower iso setting and thus so much less noise (f/4@15mm for 260secs, iso-800)...but, no filters were necessary in the star exposure, so none were used...
 
"if nothing else...if i open my eyes, if i hope, if i cry, if i think, if i sigh, if i giggle, if i dance, if i love, if i breathe, then i have lived a full days worth of life...nothing is wasted, nothing" ― bodhinku, if nothing else
 
"i do not want you to just be into my photography, instead, i'd much rather you take a journey into my pictures, and feel the impression i have created, feel it with all your senses" ― bodhinku, into my photography
 
"contemplate without thinking. be certain only in your uncertainty. stop the world. slow down everything. let it all be. shut off the noise. hush. relax. seize this moment. reconnect. feel and sense what surrounds you. listen to all the colors of light whisper as they envelope you. see the melody and harmony that float about unnoticed. taste the solitude of all this wonderment. smell the beautiful silence. now discover your peaceful serenity. then, reach out and touch your faith with all your senses. this is my world. awaken!" ― bodhinku, my world
 
"my photography is my way of keeping a diary" ― bodhinku, my diary  
 
i leave you today wishing that bright joy 
and spiritual peace fill your life...
imploring you to make every moment count, 
no matter what, always and forever, 
for that is the only thing that truly matters...    
 
and above all else,
i hope this message and impression find you well.
 
namaste,
bodhi
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